Call to refuse permits for illegal horse stables

The Environment and Resources Authority has once again called attention to the practice of sanctioning illegalities built in rural areas.

Stables were illegally built over 110sq.m inside an extensive landscaped area surrounded by a boundary wall inside the Munxar area of Marsaskala, in the vicinity of a number of illegal rooms by St Thomas Bay.

The incomplete works were first detectable in aerial photos taken by the Planning Authority in 2016 and did not appear in photos taken in 2012 and before. The boundary wall was also built after 2012.

The ERA has presented photos taken in 2017 which suggest that works were completed in the previous year.

The ERA condemned the practice of first carrying out illegal development without due consideration to the site’s rural setting, and then applying for sanctioning of such works and said this is objectionable in principle. “This practice is of major concern to ERA and should not be rewarded through retroactive sanctioning.”

The ERA said the position of the rooms at the far end from the site access resulted in more uptake of soil and land than necessary for the creation of a passageway. Moreover the illegal structures and passageways resulted in the formalisation of the site. The boundary wall which exceeded a 1.2m limit was described as excessive.

The application to regularise the illegalities was presented by Ronald Briffa, who is represented by architect and former MP Censu Galea.